Fluid pressure controlled clutch



Jan. 25, 1938. a. s. AIKMAN FLUID PRESSURE CONTROLLED CLUTCH OriginalFiled July 30, 1932 2 SheetsSheet l W N SAIKMAN.

WM i% Q% ATTO EY Jan. 25, 1938. B. s. AlKMAN f 2 3 2;

FLUID PRESSURE CONTROLLED CLUTCH Original Filed July 30, 1932 v 2Sheets-Sheet 2 no. v ISI- I n 4i: 'll (\1 I l r 1 l \O 5 9. 3: I 1 i 3 3E 2 H m I S 9. g; l ifi m m a 01 #7 A -60 (I 1 I 1% L 1 t l Lu} 5 fig I"-m X m INVENTOR BURTON SAIKMAN.

We ATTORN Y Patented Jan. 251938 2,105,472 FLUID PRESSURE CONTROLLEDCLUTCH Burton S. Aikman, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignor to The WestinghouseAir Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Original application July 3|), 1932, Serial No.

626.504. Divided and this application June, 22, 1934, Scr!al No. 731,856

2 Claims. (Cl. 192-85) This invention relates to fluidpressure'controlled clutches, particularly to clutches controlled by thepressure of fluid lubricant, and is a divisional application of myco-pending appli- 5 cation, Serial Number 626,504, filed July 30, 1932,

assigned to the assignee' of this application.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fluid pressure actuatedclutch adapted to be supplied with fluid under pressure through a 'pas-1o sage in a rotary shaft with which the clutch is associated. 1

Another object is to provide a fluid 'pressure actuated clutch having anovel cooperative arrangement of partswhereby a pressure chamber isformed-and whereby a movable clutch element is supported and guided.

These and other objects of the invention that will hereinafter appearthroughout the further description thereof, are attained by theapparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein; 1

Fig. 1 is a fragmental sectional view, partially in elevation, of animproved clutch device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental sectional view of a modifled form of clutchdevice.

Referring to Fig. 1, the clutch device is shown associated with the flywheel 23 ofan internal combustion motor, which is attached to the oflange 24 on the end of the driving crank shaft annular friction discs32 and 33, preferably made 40 of composition material, are secured tothe sides of the chamber by means of countersunk rivets 34.

In order to facilitate assembly of the clutch parts, the housing 28 ismade in two pieces,

45 namely the flanged portion attached to the fly wheel 23, and theputer flanged portion 35 that is detachably connected to the body of thehousing by means of threaded bolts 36.

A carrierdisc 31, having a hub 38, is keyed 50 to a driven shaft, suchas a compressor crank shaft l5, so that it rotates with the crank shaft.

The carrier disc is disposed midway between-the friction discs 32 and 33and movable abutments, shown as annular flexible ,diaphragmsg; 33 and 554|, are clamped on the opppsite sides of, the disc 31 by means ofannularguide plates 42 and 43, respectively, which are secured to thecarrier disc by means of bolts 44. The diaphragms are preferably made ofrubber composition or any material that will permit of a relativelygreat de- 5 flection without detrimentally affecting the life of thediaphragm. It has been found that'diaphragms made of a plurality vofthin metal sheets are also satisfactory for this purpose,

Annular chambers 45 are provided on oppo- 10 site sides of the disc 31between the disc and the inner faces of the diaphragms 33 and 4| forreceiving fluid under pressure supplied thereto through a passage 46 inthe compressor crank shaft l5, which registers with a passage 41 in 15the hub 33of the disc 31 and which opens into the chambers 45 throughbranch passages '48. Communication is established between the chambers45 by means of passages 49 extending through the disc 31 from one sidethereof-to 20 the other and through the passages 43.

Annular follower plates 5| and 52 are mounted, respectively, on thediaphragms 33 and" 4|, and the plates are provided with pins 53 and 54,re? spectively, which slidably extend through guide 5 openings 55 in theclamp plates 42 and 43.

Clutch plates 53 and 51, preferably made of metal, are secured to theouter ends of the pins 53 and 54, respectively, and are adapted to beforced into frictional engagement with the fric- 30 tion discs 32 and33, respectively, when the clutch plates areforced outwardly from thecarrier disc 31 by the diaphragms 33 and 4| in response to the pressureof fluid within the chambers 45 between the diaphragms. 'From the fore-'5 going, it is apparent that when sufl icient fluid pressure is appliedto the inner faces of the diaphragms 33 and 4|, the clutch plates. 56and 51 will be forced into driving engagement with the friction discs 32and 33. In Fig. 2, a modified form of clutch device is illustrated,wherein a single annular diapln'agm or'abutment servesto forcea-plurality of clutch discs into frictional engagement when fluid underpressure is applied to one face of the diaphragm. The modified form ofclutch device is shown applied to the crank shaft l!) of an internalco'mbustion motor having a fly wheel 23 secured thereto, as in theclutch device shown in Fig. 1. The carrier disc |0|, having a hubportion I02, is keyed upon the shaft |5 of the compressor. The hub I02is provided,with a tapered openin I03 for receiving the tapered end I04of the shaft 15, and longitudinal displacement of the, 55

hub with respect to the shaft is prevented by a lock nut device to behereinafter described.

A flexible diaphragm I05 preferably made of rubber composition, or othersuitable material, is clamped upon one side of the carrier disc IN bymeans of an annular clamping plate I06 that is secured to the carrierdisc by means of bolts I01. Anannular follower I08 is mounted within thechamber I09 and is secured to the diaphragm I05, so that upon anincrease of fluid pressure within the chamber III, the follower is movedleftward with a series of disc operating pins II2, one of which isshown, secured to the follower I08 and extending through guide openingH3 in the carrier disc IOI.

A series of discs II and H5 are adapted to be clamped between the outerends of the pins I I2 and a supporting disc II6 having a hub portion thecompressor crank shaft I5 and the carrier disc IN, and are provided withholes I23through which a series of pins I24, one of which is shown,extend. The pins I24 flt snugly into alined openings I25 and I28 in thecarrier disc IN and the supporting disc II6, respectively.

The inner face of the hub I I! of the supporting disc II6 engages ashoulder I21 on thehub I 02, so as to limit the inward movement of thesup porting disc H5. Sufficient space is provided between the discengaging face I28 of the supporting disc H6 and the disc engaging faceI29 of the carrier disc IOI to permit slight separation of the discs H4and I I5, so that the fly wheel 23 may rotate without imparting movementto the carrier disc IOI.

- When sufficient pressure is exerted within the chamber III, thefollower I08 is forced toward the left, so that the outerends of thepins 2 are forced against the adjacent outer disc H5. The pressureapplied to the outer disc H5 is transmitted to the discs H4 and H5disposed between the supporting disc H6 and the outer clutch disc I I 5engaged by the pins. The gradual increase of pressure on the diaphragmI05 causes the clutch disc to gradually accelerate the crank shaft I5until it is rotating at the same speed as the motor. Sufficient pressureis ordinarily applied to the clutch disc to prevent slipping of thediscs while the clutch is in connecting position. a

The supporting disc II6 islocked upon the shaft I5 by a threaded nut, I3I which is threaded upon a threaded portion I32 of the shaft I5. Thenut I3I is adapted to be locked in looking position by means of' arelatively thin nut I33, that is adapted to be pinched upon the threadedportion moans I32 of the crank shaft by a threaded bolt I34,

whichtends to deflect one side of the nut I33 toward the nut I3I. Tappedholes I35 are provided in the'hub I02 for the insertion of a gear pullerwhen it is desired to remove the carrier 5 disc IOI which registers witha passage I3'I- in the clamping plate I06. a

The entire clutch assembly is protected by a flanged casing I38, whichis secured to the motor housing I39 and to the end plate Ill-of thecompressor housing I42 by means of bolts I43. It

will be noted that the mounting for the clutch discs Ill is such thatthe crank shaft I5 may be moved to the right and away from the fly wheel23 by movement in the direction of the axis of the crank shaft, so thatthe clutch device may be readily disassembled for inspection andrepairs.

It is obvious that the improved clutch and controlling mechanism isapplicable to any form of; apparatus having driving shafts which are tobe releasably connected and that changes, additions and omissions may bemade in the construction of the clutch and the control mechanismtherefor without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim. as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

' 1. A clutch device comprising a rotatable shaft having a passagetherein through which fluid may flow, a disc mounted on saidshaft forrotation therewith, a diaphragm mounted on said disc, a guide memberhaving guide openings therein and carried by said disc for clamping saiddiaphragm to said disc so as to provide a fluid-tight chamber betweensaid disc and said diaphragm for receiving fluid under pressure fromsaid passage in said shaft, a follower for said diaphragm havingoperating pins extending through the guide openings in said guidemember,

a clutch member operated by 'said follower through the medium of saidpins, a second rotatable shaft, and a clutch member carried by saidsecond rotatable shaft for cooperating with said first clutch member andthereby eflecting a driving connection between said shafts.

2. A clutch device comprising a disc member her and thereby effecting adriving connection.

BURTON s. AIKMAN.

